Category: US GSA

Source: United States General Services Administration

April 21, 2022

This Achievement Arrives More Than a Decade Ahead of Government-Wide Goal of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Reduction by 50% by 2032

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a 51% reduction of its building portfolio’s annual operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—more than a decade ahead of the government-wide goal of a 50% reduction of GHG emissions by 2032. This marks a reduction in 2021 of over 1.1 million tons of annual emissions compared to the 2008 base year.

“We’re thrilled to reach this milestone, and we’ll keep pushing to reach the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “As a country, we must continue to invest in and upgrade our over 1,500 owned federal properties to build a cleaner, healthier future for America.”

GSA has worked relentlessly to save taxpayer dollars through energy efficient operations, smart building technologies, and industry-leading sustainable new construction and building modernization. This includes a focus on competitive utility purchasing to lock in favorable prices, smooth price volatility, and procure more renewable energy. These investments enabled the agency to avoid over $80 million in energy costs in 2021, with a total of over $648 million since 2008.

This year, in furtherance of new government-wide goals, GSA will expand support of customer agencies’ needs for zero-emission vehicles and carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) procurement. By aggregating CFE procurement across multiple agencies, GSA will help agencies meet their GHG reduction goals, while also securing consistent prices to support agency missions and benefit taxpayers.

“GSA is ready to deliver in the fight against the climate crisis while serving agencies’ missions and saving taxpayer dollars. GSA is now also working to set aggressive new targets to reduce our buildings’ GHG emissions even further,” said GSA Public Buildings Service Commissioner Nina Albert. “This coincides with our goals of maximizing building efficiency; reducing energy, water, and waste consumption; lowering utility costs; and eliminating carbon pollution—which not only benefits the environment but our clients and taxpayers, as well.”

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

Source: United States General Services Administration

April 20, 2022

This GSA project was completed on time and under budget

SAN ANTONIO — Today, Administrator Robin Carnahan of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, and officials from the U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Texas convened for a dedication of the U.S. Courthouse in historic downtown San Antonio.

“This courthouse represents years of hard work, dedication, and partnership to deliver a state of the art, high-performance facility for our judicial branch and a cultural landmark for the community,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “This is a great example of why smart investments in our nation’s infrastructure are so important right now. In the coming years, Texas can expect to see more of these once in a generation investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

“Getting this courthouse off the ground was years in the making and to see those efforts now come full circle as they open their doors today is fulfilling,” said U.S. Senator John Cornyn. “A new legacy of safety, community, and justice is on the horizon for the people of San Antonio.”

“I am very excited that the new federal courthouse is completed, with the support of federal funding from the Congressional appropriations process. The new courthouse will serve the community as a safe space free from water quality, air quality, space, safety and security issues that plagued the previous building. This courthouse will transform the community and allow the Western District of Texas to meet growing jurisdictional demand,” said Congressman Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I would like to thank the General Services Administration, and especially Senator Cornyn, for helping me to secure the necessary funding. I would also like to thank U.S. Western District Judge of Texas Rodriguez and Chief Judge Garcia for their due diligence on making this new courthouse a reality.”

“This new facility designed by Lake Flato and built by Brasfield & Gorrie provides much needed security and environmental enhancements to court operations, while still retaining architectural elements from our two previous locations- the Wood Courthouse and the Hipolito Garcia Building,” said Judge Xavier Rodriguez. “The architects and contractor did a wonderful job of constructing a modern building that possesses abstract art pieces that reference the scales of justice, while incorporating elements of the court’s historic past that began in 1846.”

The U.S. District Courts and supporting court related agencies were previously housed in the John H. Wood, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The historic facility was originally constructed as the U.S. Pavilion for the 1968 World’s Fair and later, in 1974, was renovated to house court functions. Throughout the years, the court’s space needs grew making it necessary to expand. The new courthouse provides for the consolidation of court functions into one facility for improved efficiencies and includes updated U.S. Courts Design Guide and security requirements. Additionally, the new courthouse stands as a beautiful government landmark to serve the American people for generations to come.

General Information:

• The new U.S. Courthouse is located at 262 W. Nueva Street, San Antonio, Texas 78207
• The facility has 8 courtrooms (5 District, 2 Magistrate, and 1 Special Proceedings) and 13 chambers (8 District, 3 Magistrate and 2 Court of Appeals).
• Tenants include the U.S District Courts, U.S. Clerk of the Court for the Western District of Texas, U.S. Magistrate Courts, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, Federal Public Defender, U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Attorneys and GSA.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

Source: United States General Services Administration

April 19, 2022

SAN DIEGO ㅡ En el día de hoy, la Administración de Servicios Generales de EE. UU. (GSA) y la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP) del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU. organizaron conjuntamente una ceremonia de corte de listón en la Garita de Otay Mesa. El evento celebró la culminación histórica de las mejoras comerciales en la parte de inspección de camiones de la garita, lo cual brinda mejoras de infraestructura que amplían la capacidad de procesamiento, hacen crecer la economía de la región y protegen el clima.

“La GSA recibe con brazos abiertos nuestras asociaciones con agencias que permiten el logro de múltiples misiones mientras tienen un impacto económico positivo en la gran comunidad de San Diego”, indicó Nina Albert, comisionada del Servicio de Edificios Públicos (PBS) de la GSA. “El papel de PBS en la industria de la construcción nos coloca en una posición única y nos permite tener un impacto positivo y duradero. Otay Mesa es un gran ejemplo, ya que vemos que el tráfico tiene un impacto en la economía y la comunidad. Aquí, hemos alineado las características de sostenibilidad de los planes de diseño y construcción con la cultura de la comunidad y sus necesidades sin comprometer los objetivos de la misión operativa”.

La GSA tiene una presencia física de bienes y raíces en más de 2,000 comunidades del país, y acaba de recibir $3.4 mil millones de dólares de la Ley Bipartidista de Infraestructura para modernizar y construir 26 importantes cruces de entrada terrestres a través de las fronteras con México y Canadá.

A la ceremonia realizada sobre el nuevo estacionamiento de empleados, asistieron legisladores de la comunidad binacional, funcionarios federales y líderes municipales.

“La Garita de Otay Mesa es una parte importante de nuestra economía regional”, afirmó Juan Vargas, Representante de los Estados Unidos del distrito 51 de California. “Otay Mesa es una de las garitas comerciales más concurridas, y estas mejoras se traducirán en inversiones en flujos comerciales más eficientes e impulsarán el procesamiento comercial. El ampliar y modernizar esta garita beneficiará la economía en ambos lados de la frontera, y me enorgullece haber apoyado este proyecto vital desde su inicio hasta su finalización”.

La finalización de las mejoras comerciales en Otay Mesa resalta un retorno positivo de la inversión de $134 millones del gobierno federal en la modernización y expansión de la garita de 51 acres. Las cifras de CBP muestran un número creciente de cruces de camiones de carga en Otay Mesa: 958,766 en el año fiscal 2019. Aunque los cruces de camiones se redujeron por 51,221 (907,545) en el año fiscal 2020 a medida que se desataba la pandemia, los cruces aumentaron por más de 108,000 camiones el año pasado. Traducido a dólares, esos camiones importaron $34 mil millones en bienes en el año fiscal 2019, $32 mil millones en el año fiscal 2020 y más de $37 mil millones en el año fiscal 2021 en el cruce de camiones comerciales más transitado de California.

“Las mejoras que está realizando la GSA continúan acelerando la importación de envíos justo a tiempo a los EE. UU., reducen los tiempos de espera y las emisiones de los vehículos, y mejoran la cadena de suministro ya que eliminan conflictos vehiculares de larga data dentro de las instalaciones que han obstaculizado los flujos comerciales durante décadas”, dijo el administrador regional interino de la GSA, Dan Brown.

Durante la ceremonia de Otay Mesa, se destacó el trabajo de la GSA que aumentó la cantidad de carriles de procesamiento de camiones comerciales de nueve a 16, y el apoyo del poder ejecutivo de CBP y otras agencias federales que llevan a cabo sus misiones vitales relacionadas con la gestión, el control y la protección integrales de las fronteras de nuestra nación.

“El proyecto de modernización y expansión de Otay Mesa crea una instalación más segura y eficiente para respaldar nuestras capacidades de procesamiento en una de las garitas comerciales más concurridas del país”, explicó Sidney Aki, Director de Operaciones de Campo de CBP en San Diego. “Esta modernización permite que nuestros oficiales continúen protegiendo las fronteras de nuestra nación, al tiempo que facilita el flujo de comercio entre México y los Estados Unidos. Nuestra agencia está muy emocionada de que este proyecto innovador se haga realidad aquí muy pronto”.

El proyecto de modernización y expansión de Otay Mesa, cuya finalización está programada para la primavera de 2023, también suma otras mejoras y reconfiguraciones, incluidas aquellas para peatones, empleados, visitantes e inspecciones de autobuses. Otras mejoras incluyen:

• Construcción de un edificio comercial anexo

• Reubicación de las instalaciones de registro de la Red Electrónica Segura para la Inspección Rápida de Viajeros (SENTRI)

• Reubicación del proceso de importación comercial de materiales peligrosos

El proyecto de modernización y expansión de Otay Mesa brindará a los arrendatarios de la garita, incluidos CBP y otras agencias federales, un espacio operativo adecuado para reducir la congestión del tráfico a través de un diseño más eficiente para las operaciones e instalaciones portuarias para las personas de viaje. Para dar cabida a los 3.6 millones de peatones que cruzan cada año, la GSA duplicará los carriles para peatones de seis a 12 para mejorar la capacidad de procesamiento.

“Otay Mesa y especialmente el puerto de carga, es el activo más importante para nuestra comunidad”, señaló Alejandra Mier y Terán, directora ejecutiva de la Cámara de Comercio de Otay Mesa. Además, afirmó que los propietarios de pequeñas empresas y los directores de recursos humanos apuntan al procesamiento peatonal, como clave para mantener abiertas las instalaciones de fabricación de alta demanda, incluidas las que producen dispositivos médicos y piezas de automóviles. “Durante esta pandemia, Otay es una de las pocas comunidades en la región metropolitana de San Diego que nunca cerró realmente entre Baja California y el sur de California. El comercio ha aumentado”.

Ver imágenes y video del diseño

Acerca de GSA: la GSA proporciona compras centralizadas para el gobierno federal, administra una cartera de bienes raíces a nivel nacional de casi 370 millones de pies cuadrados alquilables y supervisa aproximadamente $75 mil millones en contratos anuales. La misión de la GSA es brindar valor y ahorros en bienes raíces, adquisición, tecnología y otros servicios de apoyo a la misión en todo el gobierno, en apoyo de las prioridades de la Administración Biden-Harris. Para obtener más información, visite GSA.gov y síganos en @USGSA.

Acerca de CBP: La Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE. UU. es la agencia fronteriza unificada dentro del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional encargada de la gestión, el control y la protección integrales de las fronteras de nuestra nación, que combina aduanas, inmigración, seguridad fronteriza y protección agrícola en y entre los puertos oficiales de entrada.

Source: United States General Services Administration

April 19, 2022

SAN DIEGO ㅡ Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection (CBP) co-hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Otay Mesa Land Port of Entry (LPOE). The event celebrated the milestone completion of commercial improvements on the truck inspection portion of the port, delivering infrastructure improvements which expand processing capacity, grow the region’s economy and protect the climate.

“GSA embraces our agency partnerships which are enabling the accomplishment of multiple missions while having a positive economic impact on the greater San Diego community,” said GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) Commissioner Nina Albert. “The role of PBS in the building industry puts us in a unique position to have lasting, positive impact. Otay Mesa is a great example where we see traffic having an impact on the economy and community. Here, we’ve aligned sustainability features of design and construction plans with the culture of the community and its needs without compromising operational mission objectives.”

GSA has a physical real-estate presence in more than 2,000 communities nationwide and just received a $3.4 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 26 major modernization and construction projects at land ports of entry along the U.S. border with Mexico and Canada.

The ceremony, held atop the new employee parking structure, was attended by legislators from the binational community, federal officials and civic leaders.

“The Otay Mesa Land Port of Entry is an important part of our regional economy,” said U.S. Rep (CA-51) Juan Vargas. “Otay Mesa is one of the busiest commercial ports of entry, and these improvements will invest in more efficient flows of commerce and boost commercial processing. Expanding and modernizing this port of entry will benefit the economy on both sides of the border, and I’m proud to have supported this vital project from its inception to completion.”

The completion of commercial improvements at Otay Mesa underscore a positive return on the federal government’s $134 million investment in the modernization and expansion at the 51-acre port. CBP figures show an increasing number of cargo truck crossings at Otay Mesa – 958,766 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. Though truck crossings dipped by 51,221 (907,545) in FY 2020 as the pandemic raged, crossings increased by more than 108,000 trucks last year. Translated into dollars, those trucks imported $34 billion of goods in FY19, $32 billion in FY20, and more than $37 billion in FY21 at California’s busiest commercial truck crossing.

“The improvements GSA is making continue to speed the importation of just-in-time shipments into the U.S., reduce wait times and vehicle emissions, and improve the supply chain by eliminating long-standing vehicular conflicts within the facility that have hampered commercial flows for decades,” said GSA’s Acting Regional Administrator Dan Brown.

The Otay Mesa ceremony highlighted GSA’s work that increased the number of commercial truck processing lanes from nine to 16, and the executive branch support of CBP and other federal agencies which conduct their vital missions related to the comprehensive management, control and protection of our nation’s borders.

“The Otay Mesa modernization and expansion project is creating a safer and more efficient facility to support our processing capabilities at one of the busiest cargo ports of entry in the nation.” said Sidney Aki, CBP’s Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “This modernization allows our officers to continue protecting our nation’s borders, while facilitating the flow of commerce between Mexico and the United States. Our agency is extremely excited to have this innovative project come to fruition here very soon.”

The Otay Mesa modernization and expansion project, slated for overall completion in Spring 2023, also adds other upgrades and reconfigurations including those for pedestrian travelers, employees, visitors, and bus inspections. Other improvements include:

• Construction of a commercial annex building
• Relocation of Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) enrollment facilities
• Relocation of hazardous material commercial import processing

The Otay Mesa modernization and expansion project will provide port tenants, including CBP and other federal agencies, with adequate operational space to reduce traffic congestion via a more efficient layout for port operations and facilities for the traveling public. To accommodate the 3.6 million pedestrians who cross each year, GSA will double pedestrian lanes from six to 12 to improve processing capacity. “Otay Mesa and especially the cargo port are the most-important asset for our community,” said Alejandra Mier y Teran, executive director of the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce. She said that small-business owners and human-resource directors point to pedestrian processing as key to keeping high-demand manufacturing facilities open including those producing medical devices and automotive parts. “Through this pandemic, Otay is one of the few communities in the greater San Diego region that never really closed between Baja and Southern California. Trade has increased.”

View images and video of the design

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

About CBP: U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.

Source: United States General Services Administration

April 19, 2022

Latest investment will support the streamlining of Login.gov and identity verification services for Veterans

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced its first investment in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This American Rescue Plan (ARP)-funded investment will modernize the sign-in experience at VA.gov and MyHealth.VA.gov, allowing eligible Veterans to digitally access benefits and services more reliably, equitably and securely.

Using TMF funding and support, this project will take three steps towards the implementation of a single modern, inclusive and easy-to-use sign-in service at VA. It will support the seamless transition of existing users to Login.gov, create an in-person identity verification option for Veterans unable to sign up online, and initiate a pilot to use physical security keys for multi-factor authentication, improving accessibility, equity and security.

“Our nation has a sacred obligation to care for our Veterans and their families, and this investment will help the VA deliver on that commitment,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “By offering a single sign-in solution and giving Veterans an in-person identity verification option, we will make it easier and more secure for them to access the services they deserve.”

“We want Veterans to easily and securely access the care and benefits they’ve earned, and implementing Login.gov creates a trusted government credential to do that,” said United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough. “As Veterans transition to civilian life, Login.gov lets them safely access many government benefits and services online and in-person. The Technology Modernization Fund’s support continues our digital transformation, and allows us to enhance and accelerate the development and seamless delivery of services to Veterans.”

Login.gov provides a single account to securely access online government services and is already used by agencies including the U.S. Small Business Administration and programs such as USAJobs. Complementing the recent enterprise-wide implementation of Login.gov on VA.gov, Veterans will be able to easily access services across multiple agencies with their VA sign-in credentials.

This investment aligns with the administration’s priority to deliver an excellent, equitable, secure customer experience for the American public. It also addresses directives in the recent Customer Experience (CX) Executive Order, which aims to improve Veterans’ access to healthcare and other services by integrating Login.gov into VA’s customer-facing digital products and eliminating outdated, duplicative sign-in options.

“For many years our Veterans have had to use multiple user names and passwords to access their benefits online leading to a frustrating and fractured experience for the people who have given their all in service to our country,” said TMF Board Chair and Federal CIO Clare Martorana. “This TMF investment will enable our Veterans to access their digital benefits and services in a simple, seamless, and secure way while making it easier for the VA workforce to serve them.”

At $10.5 million, this project is funded by the ARP, which provided the TMF with $1 billion to address urgent technology modernization challenges and bolster cybersecurity across the federal government. Previous TMF investments have improved citizen data protections, strengthened cybersecurity across government, saved taxpayer dollars, and advanced public-facing digital services.

Funds for TMF projects are distributed incrementally and are tied to performance targets and delivery milestones which are assessed quarterly by the TMF Board. The program management office at GSA also provides hands-on technical support to project teams throughout the project lifecycle to ensure successful execution.

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About the TMF: The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is an innovative funding vehicle that gives agencies additional ways to deliver services to the American public more quickly, provide better security for sensitive systems and data, and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently.

The TMF is overseen by the Technology Modernization Board, which is composed of government IT leaders representing proven expertise in technology, transformation, and operations. To date, the TMF has announced investments totaling over $400 million. These investments have supported projects ranging from providing a single secure login experience for government websites to digitizing temporary worker visa programs and modernizing systems that support crop inspection and certification. The TMF has received $175 million through the annual budget process and $1 billion through the American Rescue Plan to fund modernization projects to date. For more information, visit tmf.cio.gov and follow us at @TMF_gsa.

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.